Machines for packing textiles



Aug. 22, 1961 c. ARBTER MACHINES FOR PACKING TEXTILES Filed March l5,1959 N ON @N NN m m@ m D@ f L? f l. IHM JNm G m N Nm om o@ NN w is m N 2Nw @m m M u Nm Q om m NN ON 8 I l N .Ik N- @N N @N Nm E N @i N NN 2 Nm/f wm Nm NN. .h NN ,P WWWH/ u NN arent @hice 42,996,861 Patented Aug.22, 1961 2,996,861 MACHINES FOR PACKING TEXTILES Conrad Arbter, Saal(Saale), Lower Franconia, Germany Filed Mar. '13, 1959, Ser. No. 799,252l3 Claims. (Cl. 531-130) The present invention relates to a machine forpacking textiles in a synthetic foil wrapping closed on all sides. Bysynthetic foil wrapping is meant in connection with the presentinvention a wrapping which contains the goods in an envelope which isclosed on all sides. A wrapping closed on all sides has been obtainedfor textile goods, in other words so-ft goods by placing the goods in abag open at one end and then tightly sealing the said open end. Suchprocedure, however, always requires the inconvenience of introducing thetextiles, Ifor instance laundry articles, into the bag.

There are also known machines for packing articles in a synthetic foilwrapper closed on all sides. Such machines are equipped with `a devicefor stepwise feeding two sheets or foils which at least at the end oftheir feeding path have their edges moved closely above each other andparallel to each other and which receive the goods therebetween. Suchmachines are furthermore equipped with -a device for fusing the foils orsheets around the goods iand for cutting off the fused foil portions.The device for feeding the foils or sheets is, within the range of theedges of said foils and parallel thereto, equipped with endless beltswhich, by means of the belt sections facing each other, clamp the foiledges therebetween. Such machines, however, are not suitable for packingsoft goods into a very soft wrapping material.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention So` to improveheretofore known packing machines that the above mentioned drawbackswill be overcome.

It is another object of this invention so to improve the above mentionedheretofore known wrapping machines that they will also be able to wrapsoft goods in synthetic foil wrappers closed on all sides.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following speciiication in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of an improved wrapping machineaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1 with the foils shown therein omitted.

'The machine according to the present invention is characterizedprimarily in that steel conveyor belts or conveyor belts of similarstilf material yfor instance bard synthetic material are employed and atthe side of the foils `are provided with depressions or perforations.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the machine shown thereincomprises a machine frame 11 having journalled thereon in bearings (notshown) shafts 35 and 37 which have keyed thereto pulleys 36 and a drum38 for 'a pair of endless steel conveyor belts 39. Pulleys 30 and 31respectively mounted on shafts 33 and 78 support an upper pair 32 ofconveyor belts. A stationary auxiliary frame 24 has journalled thereonshafts 49 and 51 with pulleys 50 and `52 respectively for a pair ofsteel belts 53. A yfourth pair of steel belts 48 is movable over rollersand drums 41, 43, 45, and 47 the shafts of which are designated with thereference numerals 40, 42, 44 and 46 respectively. The lower part offrame 11 carries a pair of bearing supports 27 for a drum 28 carrying aspool with a wound-up foil strip 29. This foil strip is adapted to movebetween the pairs of steel belts 39 on one hand and the steel belts 32and 48 on the other hand to` a pair of end rollers 55, 77 respectivelymounted on shafts 54 and 56 at the right-hand end of the machine withregard to FIG. l. The auxiliary frame 24 furthermore carries a drum 25for another spool of wound-up foil strip 26 which passes between thepairs of conveyor belts 53, 48 yand 39 and 48 to the `said pair of endrollers 55. Within the range between the pulleys 43 and the drums 38, 45there are thus located the two foil strips 26 and 29 as upper and lowerfoil strips arranged adjacent each other at least at the edges thereof.These conveyor belts are designed as steel belts and are iat the sidesof the foils provided with depressions or perforations such as theperforations 32a for cooperation with the foils. These foils slightlypenetrate into the depressions or perforations thereby assuring apositive clamping and movement of the foils. The perforations may alsocooperate with sprocket wheels (not shown in the drawing). The belts maybe driven by an electric motor 112 mounted on the lower portion ofmachine frame 11. In order to avoid an unnecessary clogging up of thedrawing, the means for conveying the torque to the individual conveyorbelts have been omitted. Motor l12 is designed for stepwise drive or forstepwise drive with `a single revolution clutch or the like. In additionto the above mentioned equipment for stepwise feeding the two foilstrips, the machine is furthermore equipped with a device for stepwisedepositing the goods 63 shown by way of example as a shirt upon thelower foil strip section 29. To this end, a slide or carriage 58 with aplate 58a is mounted on a bracket 57 arranged at the left-hand end (withregard to FIG. l) of the machine. The goods 63 are placed upon the saidplate 58a by an `operator and aligned by engaging an abutment 62. Slide58 is provided with skids 61 movable on a pair of rails 60 and on aroller 64 journalled on a shaft 69. The said plate 58a can be moved fromthe position shown in the drawing toward the right until the skids 61engage the roller 64. In this last mentioned end position, the goods 63will be above the lower foil strip section 29` and below 'a holdingplate 67. Holding plate -67 is by means of guiding bushings 68a movableupwardly and downwardly on a pair of columns 68. The movement olf saidholding plate 67 is effected by means of a magnet 72 and a pull rod 70.A return spring 71 surrounding the pull rod 70 is adapted, when themagnet is deenergized, to return the holding plate 67 to the positionshown in FIG. 1.

The device for fusing together the foil strips 26 and 29 around thegoods and for cutting off the fused foil sections, is arranged at theright-hand side of the machine with regard to FIG. l. Por this purpose,the shaft of drive motor 12 has mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 13which, through the intervention of a sprocket chain 14, drives asprocket wheel 79 mounted on an eccentric shaft 16. The said eccentricshaft 16 also has mounted thereon a pair of lower sprocket wheels 2i) bymeans of which an upper pair of sprocket wheels 21 is driven through theintervention of a pair of sprocket chains 15. The said pair of sprocketwheels 21 is mounted on an upper eccentric shaft 18. Each of the twoeccentric shafts 16 and 18 is journalled in frame 11 in any convenientmanner and is provided with a lower and upper eccentric 17 and 19respectively. These eccentrics lare adapted by means of pressure members23 to act upon upwardly and downwardly movable welding plates 22equipped with welding rails 80. The shaft of motor 12 has connectedthereto a crank disc 81 with a connecting rod 75 adapted to move awelding and cutting device 76 upwardly and downwardly in guiding means73.

The described machine operates in the following manner. It may beassumed that the machine has been in operation for some time :and thatthe upper foil stripl 26 as well as the lower lfoil strip 29 have beeninserted between the conveyor belts `and extend up to the pairs of endrollers 55, 77. At certain intervals corresponding to the respectiveoperating rhythm, a piece of goods will be located on the lower foilstrip. The goods of the last half of the feeding path are simultaneouslycovered by the upper `foil strip 26. One of the pieces of goods willalso be located between the welding plates 22 which at the start of thework are spaced from each other. However, no piece of goods will at thistime be below the holding plate 67.

If now a new piece of goods 63 is placed upon plate 58a and the latteris moved from its left end position shown in FIG. 1 into its right-handend position, the newly deposited piece of goods will be located belowthe holding plate 67. At the same time, however, also plate 58 reachesthe limit switch 66 so that the latter is actuated and closes theenergizing circuit for magnet 72 which thereupon performs a singleworking stroke. As a result of the energization of magnet 72, pull rod7% pulls holding plate 67 downwardly so that the latter engages thepiece of goods. When now plate 58a is moved back to its startingposition by spring 7l, the piece of goods 6-3 is held in its positionbelow the holding plate 67, in particular also due to the downwardlybent left-hand edge of plate 67 and the piece of goods 63 rests upon thefoil section 29. When the slide plate 58 returns to its lefthandposition, one of the skids 61 actuates a limit switch 65. This in turnbrings about deenergization of magnet 72 so that spring 71 can returnholding plate 67 to its starting position. Drive motor 12 performs asingle revolution. This brings about an advance of the various conveyorbelts by one step and thereby causes the belts to move the foil strips26 and 29 and the workpiece 63 located thereon and therebetween by onefeeding step. The welding or fusing device will with a correspondingtime delay, due to the drive by means of the eccentrics 17, 19 bringabout a movement of the Welding plates 22 toward each other and therebya welding of the foil strips along three sides of the piece of goods.The left trans verse side will for the time being remain open, i.e. notyet welded or fused. In the same cycle the welding plates 22 move awayfrom each other. During the same working cycle, the welding and cuttingdevice 76 will, by means of the crank drive 81, 75, two feeding stepsfurther, produce the fourth welding seam and the separating cut adjacentsaid last mentioned welding seam. The pair of end rollers 55, 77 willthen at the end of each feeding step over a slide 82 discharge a pieceof goods enclosed in a foil wrapper fused on all four sides.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, `limited to the particular construction shown in the drawings butalso comprises any modications within the scope of the appended claims.

As a hard synthetic material for the conveyor belts 32 etc. may beselected polyvinyl chloride.

What I claim is:

l. In a machine for packing articles in a synthetic foil envelope closedon -all sides: a plurality of pairs of endless steel conveyor belts withdepressions therein, the belts of each of said pairs of belts beinglaterally spaced from -and substantially parallel to each other forrespectively receiving and supporting and conveying foil stripstherebetween along a certain feeding path, driving means drivinglyconnected to said conveyor belts and operable to advance the same bysteps, said pairs of conveyor belts including at least near the endportion of said path superimposed portions of at least two of said pairsof said belts, parallel to and closely arranged relative to each otherso as tightly to clamp therebetween marginal portions of the respectiveadjacent foil portions with the article to be packed therebetween, andfusing and cutting means arranged near said end portion of said path forfusing said foils around said article and cutting the fused portions ofsaid foils off from the remainder of said foils.

2. A machine according to claim l, in which said endless conveyor beltsare of sheet metal steel.

3. A machine according to claim l, in which the depressions are in theform of perforations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,549,122 Osterhof Apr. l7, 1951 2,606,412 Sallisberg Aug. l2, 19522,759,308 Nawrocki Aug. 2l, 1956

